Photographic easel



1951 B. B. MAHLER PHOTOGRAPHIC EASEL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 17, 1949 A GEN T B. B. MAHLER PHOTOGRAPHIC EASEL Oct. 23, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 17, 1949 INVENTOR.

BMaAfler WWII/I111! Beg 3222122 BY 7 II(Ie!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AGENT Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC EASEL Benjamin B. Mahler, Newark, N. J.

Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,731

3 Claims.

This invention relates to easels for photographic purposes, especially for use in making photographic enlargements, and more particularly to an easel of the adjustable type.

Commercially used photographic easels are designed to hold sensitized paper flat during the exposure and to mask a border of a paper in order to form a border on the completed print.

One known form of photographic easel embodies a frame which accommodates paper of one size only. Consequently, this type of easel is needed in as many different sizes, that is, in such a number, as there are different paper sizes used by the same darkroom worker. It will be understood that the purchase of a number of complete, self-contained easels is uneconomical.

Suggestions have, therefore, been made to provide an easel which can be adjusted to any size of paper and does not have to be replaced by another easel whenever a different size of paper is to be used. A common form of this type of easel uses slidably arranged borders. However, this construction is complicated and requires that a bright light be turned on in the darkroom to make it possible for the borders to be adjusted correctly. Apart from this, the adjustment is a rather delicate job and takes too much time.

It has also been suggested to provide an easel having a backing, a holding frame connected thereto, and a number of so-called leaves clamped between the backing and the holding frame, each of the leaves having an opening of a different size. The print paper to be used is placed within the frame and held between two adjoining leaves. The construction according to this suggestion is also complicated in requiring means to connect the holding frame to the backing, means to hingedly hold the leaves, and means to hold the leaves against relative movement.

The prime object of my invention is to generally improve easels of the type referred to. The invention aims at an easel which will not have the disadvantages of the prior art constructions, but instead will embody all of the commercially desired advantages, as simpleness in construction, low cost in manufacture, easy and quick handling in use, and production of prints having perfectly straight borders.

More specifically, important objects of my invention center about the provision of an easel which can readily be assembled and disassembled and which can be adjusted to any of the standard sizes of photographic paper in a matter of seconds and in complete darkness besides. Another more specific object of my present invention is to provide an easel which makes it possible to use paper which may be of any shape as long as two adjacent sides of the sheet are cut at a right angle, yet which ensures, as mentioned above, the formation of definitely straight borders. Still another object of my invention is to provide an easel which is sturdy in structure.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements of a photographic easel and their relation one to the other as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accom; panied by drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a photographers Q easel embodying features of my invention, with some parts of the assembly in separated condition, showing the easel in its normal or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a disassembled.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modified easel;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the easel of Fig. 5 drawn to enlarged scale and showing one of the parts in an elevated position to.

permit insertion of sensitized paper;

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6, but showing the;

same part in a different position;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another modi-. fication of the easel according to my inventiony Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken approxi-- mately in the plane of the line 99 f Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of.

a disassembled part of the device of Figs. 8 and 9.v

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail but having first reference to Figs. 1 to 3, l 0 designates a base made of plastic material. The base or at least its top surface 12 is of white color to permit focusing. Secured to the base on its side II are three threaded studs [6. generally designated I8 is removably placed over the base. The frame is an oblong structure, the border 20 being of identical width all-round and enclosing an opening 22. The frame is provided along two adjacent sides with flanges preferably formed by bending the corresponding border por-" tions downwardly approximately at right angles,

A frame the base maybemade of wood or metal, aswell as.

plastics, whereby a white top may be provided by using a sheet of white plastic material or simply;- white paint, the frame, according to an important feature of the invention, is made of spring steel or any other resilient metal or metal alloy, The frame [8, shown in Fig. 2 in disassembled condition, is placed over the base lll-'=by-putting the frame on the base from the top so that the studs i 6, indicated in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 2, appear in front of the mouths 32 of the slots 26, and by sliding the frame in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1 until two ofth'ethlreestuds :are seated in the'two slotsand' the flange 28 lies against the contiguous side of the base block. When fitted over the base, the frame is in operative' position and will be retained in this position by: tl'ghteningfthe'knurled nuts 34 (see Fig. 3).

Touse my easel for holding print papers, use is made of 'thepivotal support ofthe frame. It

will be understood that the frame isadapted to,

bend in the region between the respective border portion andfthe flange 24. When raised to the position shownin Fig. 3", the frame tends to swing back due to its springiness. The flange 24 is bent downwardlypreferablyat an angle slightly less than 90]with the border to increase the spring pressure., By using the grip 30, the frame is swung tothe positionof Fig. 3, and while in this position, a sheet 36 of print paper is edgewise inserted between the frame and base, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, until the two adjacent sides of the paper sheet, which move toward the flanges 24 and28, hit the flanges. Then, by releasin the grip 30, the frame l8 swings back to" the position shown in Fig. 1 to hold the paper flat and securely to'the base. 7

The paper removing action is similarlya'ccom plished' as the'new paper positioning action by swinging the frame to an elevated position and by allowing the frame afterwards to swing back .due to the inherent springy properties of the frame, Attention is" called to the fact that the'.

According to my invention, I use a single base and a number of'dilferent sizesof frames, the base and the frames forming a uni-tto be used for all standard sizesof-printpaper; Itwill be; clear that uponremoving of one size of frame from its-connection with the base; the basewill be;

ready to be united'with a different frame. It is possible to provide a singl'e'base' to be used with as many frames as are needed to accommodate all standardsizes of paper, or two or three different bases ,each. bemeadapted for the vuse. of. a

- and the left flange 52;

ever size of frame is used with the base, ensures perfectly straight borders. The base need be only slightly larger than the largest size of photographic paper to be used with that base.

Referring to Fig. 4, the easel selected for illustration in this view consists of the same base 10 and a frame 42. The frame consists of a border 20' provided with a finger grip 30' and two depending:flanges-28 and 44. Whilethe flange 28' issimilar to'thelfl'ange 28.,(Figs. 1 to 3), the flange 43 is designed to form three horizontally extending; slots 26 to receive all of the three studs Hi. The frame ,42 is similarly brought in place and similarly tightened to the base as was previously clescribech FORitS swinging or pivotal movement, the frame 42 depends on its support on the three studslfi:

To: accommodate the paper 36, which is larger than the sheet 36 (Fig; 3), a correspondingly larger frame, namely, frame 42, is used with the baselfl; the ,m'ounting'of the frame 'on' thebase the functionand operation of theframe being;

however, exactly the same as'explained above;

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the easel shown comprises a c';shaped'metal base 44 and a rigid-frame-46.

The frame essentiallycomprises a border 48, a

ing dire'cte'ddownwardly, and the'latter two" flanges being shaped to form horizontally extendframeat 62.

When placed overits base, the frame 46' is held down, and when raised tothe position shown-in" Fig. 6, the spring'urges the frame back'against the base; If'the frame is raised to the position shown in Fig; 7"and thespring coincides with the li'ne passing through'fiii'and 62,-the springfo'rce will. exert anendwise pullbut nolonger tend toturrr the frame, While in'the position of Fig. 7, it is" possible; to insert papersin'the easel without hold ingtheiframe by hand. If theframe is'turned" into a position ,(not shown) beyond that ofFigr'l,

the spring'will'tendto move the frame'in opposite direction.

To repla'ce'the frame 66' by a similarly'but differently'sized frame, the spring is taken'off, the?" old frame slipped off so as to free the pivot pins: 56",the new frame slid into position, and thespring" againf'astened';

In inserting the paper in the easel of Fig. 5, thepaper'is'moved until it touches the flange 50" Again, papers having just" two adjacent sides at a right angle yield pictures" with all-around straight borders. I

In the particular constructions'shown in Figs;

1 to 7, frames are used one or two flanges of which are shaped to" form horizontally extending ,slots.

However, it iwill'be understood that the horizontal extension of the'slots is'not essential. Theslots may just as well extenddilferently, but care must" be, taken, according to my invention, that" the. flanges of the frame do not interfere while'th'e frame isflbrought in place, and thatthe frame. flanges form the desired abutments when they studsare seated in the slots.

The form of my. invention shown in Figs. land-.- "9 comprises substantially a base 64 a frameholder 66,.a rigid frame.68, and a Wedge strap 10-. The frame holder is pivoted on the base at .12. The frame holdercomprises a lowersection Mandamupper section 16,.thelengthwise extending space between these sections receiving the'border portion 18 of the frame and the wedge strap. The frame is brought in place by moving same edgewise in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8 with the border portion 18 moving first. While the frame is brought in place, the wedge strap is in the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9 whereby the individual wedges 80 project into the apertures 82 provided in the upper section 16, thus leaving an idle space 84 between the wedge strap and the frame 68. Once the frame has been inserted, the wedge strap is pushed to the right, thereby wedging itself into the idle space and locking the frame in position. Provision can as well be made to arrange the wedge strap between the frame and the lower frame holder section.

It will be clear that with the base 64 and frame holder 66, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, different sizes of frames may be used. It will also be clear that the wedge strap has to be moved into the opposite direction to allow a frame to be taken out and to be replaced by a frame of a different size.

It should be understood that the frames to be used with the easel of Figs. 8 and 9 are provided with one flange only, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. This flange is designated 86 and corresponds to the flange 28 shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The adjacent flange needed to properly locate papers is provided on the frame holder 66 and is designated 88.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that all of the parts, which according to this invention form an individual unit of easel, are simple in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy and quick to assemble and disassemble. The assembled easel will be easy to operate and will be reliable in function.

It is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the many advantages of my improved easel, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a photographic easel, a base having a paper-supporting top, and sides, a paper-holding apertured frame, at least two studs spacedly projecting from one of said sides, said studs being arranged in a straight line and being threaded at their free ends, and matingly threaded nuts to fit the stud threads, said frame being made of resilient material and being placed over the base to fit around the studs for being releasably tightened to the base by means of said nuts, the frame having on two adjacent sides downwardly directed flanges to form abutments for properly locating the paper to be supported by the base and to be held by the frame, the resilience of the frame material urging the frame, upon its bending about a line parallel to said line, to resume its original position and shape.

2. In the easel as defined in claim 1, one of said flanges being of a configuration to form slots to receive said studs.

3. In a unit forming a photographic easel, a single base having a paper-supporting top, and sides, more than one paper-holding apertured frame, at least two studs spacedly projecting from one of said sides, said studs being arranged in a straight line and being threaded at their free ends, and matingly threaded nuts to fit the stud threads, each frame being made of resilient material and being shaped to hold a different size of paper, each frame being provided with abutments on two adjacent sides for properly locating the paper to be held, and being placed over the base to fit around the studs for being releasably tightened to the base by means of said nuts, the resilience of the frame material urging the frame secured to the base, upon its bending about a line parallel to said line, to resume its original position and shape.

BENJAMIN B. MAHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,213,313 Hill Sept. 3, 1940 2,235,463 Porcelli Mar. 18, 1941 2,300,264 Morin Oct. 2'7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 795,388 France Jan. 6, 1936 839,959 France Jan. 7, 1939 

